All posts by h79snht.top

Manchester United are now fighting one of their Premier League rivals for the signature of Christian Pulisic, who has recently entered talks over a new contract at AC Milan.

Ruben Amorim is keen to bring in a new forward, despite both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo making encouraging starts to life at Old Trafford, being praised by Gary Neville, who said: “With Cunha and Mbeumo, the risk of those signings was removed because in the sense they had played in the Premier League before and they had the hunger to deliver at a different level.

“Mbeumo looks like he belongs. He looks hungry and that he wants to score goals.

“Cunha and Mbeumo will win a lot of matches for Manchester United.”

Indeed, the two summer signings had already proven themselves in the Premier League, which meant they were low-risk additions, unlike Jadon Sancho, who flattered to deceive despite tearing it up with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

However, it has now been revealed that United are in the race for a forward who didn’t exactly set the world alight during his previous stint in England.

Man Utd fighting Aston Villa for AC Milan star Christian Pulisic

According to a report from Spain, Man United are now fighting Aston Villa for the signature of Pulisic, despite the forward recently entering talks with AC Milan over a new deal to extend his stay at the San Siro.

The Red Devils are keen to improve their forward options even further, despite adding Mbeumo, Cunha and Benjamin Sesko in the summer transfer window, and there is a belief the American could help them in their push for Europe for this season.

The 27-year-old’s contract situation is the ‘biggest obstacle’ for Amorim’s side to overcome, given that he is currently tied down until 2027, with an option to extend, and the Italian club are eager to keep hold of one of their key players.

The 82-time USA international was unable to establish himself as a Premier League star during his stint with Chelsea, registering just three goal contributions in all competitions during his final season at Stamford Bridge, but he has since taken his game to the next level.

Former USA defender Alexi Lalas has been left particularly impressed by the winger’s performances since moving to AC Milan, saying: “What is world class? Well, you’ve got your definition, I have my definition. But if you want to know what world class is, it’s Christian Pulisic.

“I think he’s playing his best soccer of his career. And I’m telling you right now, Christian Pulisic at this moment is one of the top 25 players in the world. He just happens to be American.”

Having already picked up eight goal contributions in all competitions this season, Pulisic could be ready for another crack at the Premier League, and he could be a real difference-maker for Man United in their push for Europe.

Man Utd set to make £52m bid for "the best winger in the country" Related An Mbeumo repeat: Man Utd to make £52m bid for "best winger in the country"

Manchester United look set to make another huge bid for a new attacker for Ruben Amorim.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 18, 2025

With this being a dead rubber, Suryakumar did not bat at all despite India losing eight wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025

Innings Abhishek Sharma’s speedy 38 in the powerplay, in which India scored 60, and Sanju Samson’s stop-start fifty took India to 188 for 8 against Oman in the last league fixture of the Asia Cup after they had decided to bat in Abu Dhabi.With this being a dead rubber, India experimented with their combination ahead of the Super Four, resting their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and newly minted No.1 T20I bowler Varun Chakravarthy. India also fiddled with their batting line-up, with their captain Suryakumar Yadav not batting at all despite India losing eight wickets. The returning Harshit Rana managed an unbeaten 13 off eight balls from No. 8. He closed out the innings with a scythed six over point.It was Abhishek who made the early running for India, clattering five fours and two sixes during his 38 off 15 balls. He got a reprieve on 21 when he tickled Mohammad Nadeem down the leg side, but Vinayak Shukla, the Oman keeper, shelled the catch and umpire Raveendra Wilalasiri eventually deemed it as a wide ball.Abhishek added 17 to his tally before nicking another one behind, Shukla making no mistake this time. Samson had a slow start – he was on 13 off 14 balls at one point – but a six and a four off Madhya-Pradesh-born wristspinner Samay Shrivatsava got him out of first gear. Samson proceeded to crash Zikria Islam for a straight six in the tenth over, but slowed down once again thereafter.Then, after bringing up his half-century off 41 balls, Samson holed out in the 18th over. India cobbled together 21 off the last three overs and managed to find the boundary just once during this period.Faisal Shah, Jiten Ramanandi and Aamir Kaleem shared six wickets among them for Oman.

تغلب فريق مانشستر سيتي على خصمه ليدز يونايتد بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين مساء السبت، على ملعب “الاتحاد” ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

شهدت هذه الجاولة مواجهة للمتصدر آرسنال أمام تشيلسي، وانتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لمثله على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.

وتغلب ليفربول على وست هام بهدفين دون رد، وسجل له ألكسندر إيزاك وكودي جاكبو في مباراة شهدت تواجد محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء.

وواجه مانشستر يونايتد خصمه كريستال بالاس، يوم الأحد حيث حقق فوزًا بهدفين لهدف، وحقق أستون فيلا الفوز أمام ولفرهامبتون بهدف دون مقابل. جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي 

1. آرسنال، 30 نقطة.

2. مانشستر سيتي، 25 نقطة.

3. تشيلسي، 24 نقطة.

4. أستون فيلا، 24 نقطة.

5. برايتون، 22 نقطة.

6. سندرلاند، 22 نقطة.

7. مانشستر يونايتد، 21 نقطة.

8. ليفربول، 21 نقطة.

9. كريستال بالاس، 20 نقطة.

10. برينتفورد، 19 نقطة.

11. بورنموث، 19 نقطة.

12. توتنهام، 18 نقطة.

13. نيوكاسل، 18 نقطة.

14. إيفرتون، 18 نقطة.

15. فولهام، 17 نقطة.

16. نوتينجهام، 12 نقطة.

17. وست هام، 11 نقطة.

18. ليدز، 11 نقطة.

19. بيرنلي، 10 نقاط.

20. ولفرهامبتون، نقطتان.

NZ fast bowler experienced side stiffness during training on Saturday

Alex Malcolm25-Oct-2025

New Zealand quick Kyle Jamieson has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against England with side stiffness.Jamieson, 30, experienced stiffness in his side during training at Bay Oval on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s series opener. Given Jamieson’s history with stress fractures, including one post back surgery, New Zealand made a precautionary decision to rule him out of the three-match series and is targeting a comeback against West Indies in November.”Kyle experienced some stiffness in his side after bowling today and we didn’t want to take any risks at this stage of the summer,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said. “We felt it was best for him to sit out this one-day series and give himself the best chance of being ready for the West Indies tour which starts on November 5 in Auckland.”Related

'There's been quite a bit of change' – Williamson rejoins New Zealand

England seek clarity for seam attack as ODI reboot gathers pace

Jamieson: 'Screws and wire doesn't make you bulletproof'

Jamieson will return home to Christchurch for further assessment. Walter said New Zealand would name a replacement following the completion of the opening round of the Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s domestic One-Day tournament, on Saturday.Jamieson told ESPNcricinfo last month that he was being meticulous in the way he was managing his body on his return to competitive cricket in 2025 after the stress fracture last year. His bowling program has been managed by high performance coaches Chelsea Lane and Matt Dallow who are not formally part of New Zealand Cricket.”They’ve done a huge amount of work in rebuilding athletes and biomechanics and just how to stack up your body properly,” Jamieson said. “They advise on everything, right from how my body’s moving, what my gym program looks like, what the [bowling] load numbers look like.”I have reflection and review processes with them after pretty much every day that I bowl, my sort of weekly, monthly calendar is mapped out with them, my total load tracking is done through them. So I’m pretty much fully through them at the moment, and then apply it into the different cricket environments that I end up in.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Botafogo e LDU se enfrentaram nesta quarta-feira (8), pela quarta rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. Com gols de Hugo e Junior Santos, o Glorioso venceu a partida, assumiu a segunda posição do grupo e respirou na competição. Agora, vai até Lima e Barranquilla, encarar Universitario e Junior, respectivamente.

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O jogo

Como todo de Libertadores, o confronto foi tenso. Apesar da qualidade dos dois times, o VAR foi o que mais chamou a atenção, com uma checagem de mais de 10 em um gol anulado da LDU. Melhor na partida, o Glorioso abriu um placar com um golaço de Hugo, mas viu Estrada empatar a partida no fim do primeiro tempo.

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Por fim, Junior Santos brilhou mais uma vez e garantiu a vitória do Glorioso no Nilton Santos.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
BOTAFOGO X LDU
Libertadores – Fase de Grupos – 4ª rodada

🗓️Data e horário:quarta-feira, 8 de maio de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília);
📍Local:Estádio Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
📺Onde assistir: TV Globo, ESPN eDarío Herrera (ARG) Star+
🟨Árbitro:Darío Herrera (ARG)
🚩Assistentes: Facundo Rodríguez (ARG) e Ezequiel Brailovsky (ARG)
🖥️VAR:Hernán Mastrangelo (ARG)

➡️ Assine o Star+ e acompanhe o melhor da Libertadores quando e onde quiser!

⚽PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Artur Jorge)
John; Damián Suárez, Bastos, Lucas Halter e Hugo; Marlon Freitas e Gregore (Danilo Barbosa); Luiz Henrique (Savarino), Jeffinho, Júnior Santos e Eduardo.

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LDU (Técnico: Josep Alcácer)
Alexander Domínguez; Quintero, Ade, Facundo Rodríguez e Quiñonez; Piovi, Villamil, Azugaray e Jhojan Julio; Estrada e Arce.

Tudo sobre

BotafogoLibertadores

There is a feeling that Manchester United’s recruitment has turned a corner this season, even with Ruben Amorim’s side still languishing in mid-table in the Premier League.

Bryan Mbeumo, for instance, has already scored six times for the club, while Senne Lammens has tasted defeat just once in his first six games in the sticks.

More is expected of both Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko – who have scored only three goals between them – yet there have certainly been reasons for encouragement, not least the Brazilian’s stellar showing away at Anfield.

That almost £250m quartet have made an impact, no doubt about it, with the INEOS regime looking to have learned from the mistakes of the previous summer – and those that came before them.

Sancho vs Antony: Who was the worst signing?

The beauty of Mbeumo is that the former Brentford man – signed for around £71m – has hit the ground running. He is delivering what supporters would have hoped for, and more.

That certainly hasn’t been the case for United forwards of the recent past, with far too many expensive gambles having backfired, not least in the case of Jadon Sancho and Antony.

Starting with Sancho, the £73m man was courted for over a year before arriving in the summer of 2021 for what looked like a knockdown price at the time, having chalked up 107 goals and assists in 137 appearances during his first spell at Borussia Dortmund.

Hampered by an ear infection, the Englishman never really got going right from the off, in truth, overshadowed too by the subsequent capture of Cristiano Ronaldo.

After such a drawn-out saga, there was a muted excitement when Sancho did arrive, while he subsequently produced mere moments of quality, including the opener in Erik ten Hag’s first win against Liverpool.

The 25-year-old – now on loan at Aston Villa – has been truly forgettable, while Antony’s 2022 signing remains regrettable, with United forking out £86m on a player who was valued at around £25m just a year or so earlier.

A Ten Hag favourite at Ajax, the mercurial Brazilian did score in his first three league games, but that was about as good as it got in Manchester for the much-maligned left-footer.

Two statement goals did follow that season against Real Betis and Barcelona in the Europa League, albeit with that only heightening the belief that he is more suited to a league like LaLiga, where he is currently thriving.

He did at least have those moments, alongside his FA Cup strike against Liverpool, perhaps giving him the edge in the wooden spoon battle with Sancho – not least with expectations having been quite so high for the ex-England international.

Antony vs Sancho – Man Utd Record

Stat

Antony

Sancho

Cost

£86m

£73m

Games

96

83

Goals

12

12

Assists

5

6

PL Games

62

58

PL Goals

5

9

PL Assists

3

6

Stats via Transfermarkt

Miserable marquee moves have, of course, followed since, but INEOS might well have made the worst of them.

Man Utd's biggest waste since Antony and Sancho

£70m might have been spent on Casemiro in that same summer as Antony’s arrival, but for all his flaws, the ageing midfielder is still an important figure for Amorim.

Rasmus Hojlund, at £72m, is another questionable, costly deal of recent times, although the Dane did at least finish his first season as the club’s top scorer in all competitions.

Looking back to last summer, too, the investment in Matthijs de Ligt is beginning to bear fruit, while, despite a shaky showing against Everton, Leny Yoro still looks destined to be a star of the future.

The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of another high-profile capture from that INEOS-led window, in the form of £50m man, Manuel Ugarte.

Now, the merits of selling Scott McTominay can continue to be debated, although the real issue is that having sold the Scotland star for £26m, the club then spent almost double on what only looks to be a downgrade in the midfield ranks.

Indeed, while McTominay has gone to secure Ballon d’Or nods and Scudetto triumphs, Ugarte has remained a polarising presence at Old Trafford, having struggled right from the off following his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain.

Neglected by Ten Hag, the reunion with Amorim initially looked set to be a fruitful one for the Uruguayan, having memorably put in a standout showing at Anfield in January.

Just four months later, however, the 24-year-old was merely an unused substitute in the Europa League final, having reportedly been given a dressing down by Amorim at Carrington in the wake of that defeat.

Like Donny van de Beek before him, even linking up with a former manager hasn’t helped to spark his United career into life, with Ugarte again notably overlooked during Monday’s defeat to Everton.

In the words of his manager, the £120k-per-week flop is “struggling” right now, with his woes on the ball particularly evident.

Among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues this season, he ranks in just the bottom 15% for progressive passes and the bottom 20% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

The £50m man – who has two goals and six assists in 55 games for the club to date – has only actually started two league games this season, with Amorim favouring the experience of Casemiro ahead of him in that midfield two.

Entering what is a pivotal second season for Ugarte, he is showing no signs of being a player for the long term at Old Trafford, with midfield improvements drastically needed in 2026.

To have forked out such a substantial fee for a truly limited player – one described as “embarrassing” earlier this season by journalist Alex Turk – reflects poorly on the INEOS regime, with the ‘struggling’ asset already heading the way of Antony and Sancho as a notable transfer misfire.

Related Not Lammens: Man Utd flop is becoming their biggest liability since Onana

Manchester United have a player who has massively failed to deliver at Old Trafford since his transfer.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 27, 2025

Newcastle United are now seriously considering a January bid for a new midfielder, who is being targeted by some of Europe’s top clubs.

Newcastle keen on midfielder likened to Sandro Tonali

Sandro Tonali has earned rave reviews this season, with Paul Scholes causing a stir when he chose the Italian ahead of Declan Rice as the best midfielder in the Premier League back in October, saying: “I love Sandro Tonali as well. He’s been brilliant. Very good. I would probably choose Tonali at this point.”

“I think he’s better than Rice. I really like Rice, don’t get me wrong, I think he’s got everything. Sometimes he takes a few too many touches of the ball and tries to look a bit more stylish than necessary. He can do everything but I just don’t think he does it enough. I prefer Tonali but they’re both good players.”

The central midfielder has remained a key player for Eddie Howe, making 19 appearances in all competitions, although there are some doubts over the future of midfield partner Joelinton, who received criticism for his performance in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.

With the Brazilian struggling, Howe may want to enter the market for a new midfielder during the January transfer window, and Newcastle are now seriously considering a bid for Ferencvaros midfielder Alex Toth, who is valued at around £13.5m.

A whole host of Europe’s biggest clubs have been eyeing the Hungarian, who has been compared to Dominik Szoboszlai, including Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, but the PIF are now plotting a January move.

The 20-year-old excels as a box-to-box midfielder, and some of his performances for Ferencvaros suggest he may now be ready to test himself in one of Europe’s top leagues…

Related Outscoring Woltemade: Newcastle preparing move for one of the PL's best strikers

He’s been in excellent form.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Dec 3, 2025 Toth could be fantastic long-term addition to Howe's squad

Given his age, the young Hungarian still has plenty of time to develop, but he has already started to put in some very promising displays for Ferencvaros, chipping in with four goals and 15 assists in 56 outings for the Hungarian club.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described the maestro as a “roaming playmaker”, while also comparing him to Newcastle star Tonali, which is a huge compliment, considering just how highly Scholes rates the Italy international.

Not only has the starlet impressed domestically, but he also earned huge praise for his performance against Genk in the Europa League earlier this season.

With Toth potentially available for a very affordable fee, Newcastle should undoubtedly make a bid this winter, and they should move quickly, given the rival interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

يستعد منتخب مصر الثاني لخوض مباراة قوية أمام الأردن، في المواجهة التي تجمع بينهما في إطار لقاءات بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر الثاني نظيره الأردن، اليوم، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العرب.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر الثاني في المجموعة الثالثة في بطولة كأس العرب، رفقة منتخبات الأردن والإمارات والكويت.

بالمواعيد | مواجهات دور الـ 8 من كأس العرب 2025 (محدث باستمرار)

وكان منتخب مصر قد تعادل في الجولة الأولى مع منتخب الكويت، بهدف لكل فريق، ثم تعادل بالنتيجة ذاتها مع الإمارات.

ويشهد التشكيل المتوقع لمنتخب مصر الثاني مفاضلة بين الثنائي محمود حمدي الونش ورجب نبيل في مركز قلب الدفاع، وكذلك هناك حيرة بين مشاركة محمد النني أو عمر السولية بـ خط الوسط. تشكيل منتخب مصر المتوقع أمام الأردن اليوم

حراسة المرمى: محمد بسام.

خط الدفاع: يحيى زكريا وياسين مرعي ومفاضلة بين الونش ورجب نبيل وكريم العراقي.

خط الوسط: أكرم توفيق ومحمد مجدي أفشة ومفاضلة بين النني والسولية.

وفي الهجوم: ميدو جابر ومروان حمدي وإسلام عيسى.

MatériaMais Notícias

A partida contra o Talleres é válida pela fase de grupos da Libertadores, mas Luis Zubeldía e o São Paulo tratam o jogo no Morumbis como uma final de campeonato.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasOnde AssistirSão Paulo x Talleres: onde assistir ao vivo, horários e escalações do jogo pela LibertadoresOnde Assistir29/05/2024Palpites de HojePalpite: São Paulo x Talleres de Córdoba – Copa Libertadores – 29/5/2024Palpites de Hoje29/05/2024DicasSão Paulo x Talleres-ARG: odds, estatísticas e informações para apostar na 6ª rodada da LibertadoresDicas28/05/2024

➡️ Vai dar Brasil? Aposte no Lance! Betting e fature com a Copa América

Já classificado ao mata-mata, uma vitória simples diante dos argentinos coloca o São Paulo em primeiro lugar da chave. Desta forma, a equipe de Zubeldía evitaria cruzar com Palmeiras, Atlético-MG, River Plate e Flamengo nas oitavas de final, e decidiria o primeiro confronto eliminatório em casa.

O duelo também é importante para Zubeldía, que ainda não sabe o que é perder no comando do São Paulo. São seis vitórias e dois empates, com 83,3% de aproveitamento, 15 gols marcados e quatro sofridos. 

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➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor

O desempenho já é melhor do que Dorival Júnior teve em seus primeiros duelos pelo Tricolor. Com o ex-comandante, o São Paulo teve vitórias e quatro empates, com 66,6% de aproveitamento.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

Tudo sobre

LibertadoresLuis ZubeldíaSão PauloStar +STARPLUS

UP Warriorz head coach was “very surprised” to bag Sophie Ecclestone for INR 85 lakh, as he expected her to go for 1.50 crore

Daya Sagar28-Nov-20253:39

Karim: ‘Getting Lanning a masterstroke by UPW’

Coming into the WPL 2026 auction with the leanest squad and hence the biggest purse, UP Warriorz (UPW) made some heads turn by buying Shikha Pandey for a whopping INR 2.40 crore, using the RTM (right to match) option for Deepti Sharma, whom they had released earlier, and getting England’s left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone for just INR 85 lakh. Their new head coach Abhishek Nayar, who takes over from Jon Lewis from the upcoming season, said they wanted Pandey for her experience and using the RTM for the Indian names was always their plan.”[Shikha] came for the trials. She is an experienced player and we wanted her experience of having played in high-pressure tournaments,” Nayar told ESPNcricinfo after the auction in Delhi on Thursday. “Her numbers in the WPL are the best among Indian pace bowlers in the last three years, be it in the powerplay or death overs.”We wanted experience in those aspects. Kranti Gaud is a young and exciting player, but like I said we wanted experience.”Pandey last played a T20I for India in February 2023 and has since been playing in T20 franchise leagues around the world such as the WPL, the Women’s CPL and the WBBL. Even though she currently doesn’t have a WBBL deal, she recently played all four games for Trinbago Knight Riders in the WCPL and finished as their top wicket-taker with five scalps and an economy rate of 6.73. Overall, she was joint-third on the wicket-taking charts.Related

WPL coaches explain why they didn't pick Healy

How the five teams stack up after the mega auction

WPL 2026 from January 9 to February 5

Deepti, Kerr, Shikha get biggest bids; Healy unsold

Like Nayar said, Pandey is the top wicket-taker among Indian pace bowlers in the three seasons of WPL, with a tally of 30 (and economy rate of 6.96), just behind Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 32. The next Indian fast bowler on the list is Arundhati Reddy with 14 wickets. Pandey, Gaud, Tara Norris of USA, and allrounder Deandra Dottin will be the pace-bowling options for UPW.Leading their spin attack will be Deepti and Ecclestone, along with Asha Sobhana, Georgia Wareham and allrounder Chloe Tryon among the other options. While UPW splurged INR 3.2 crore on Deepti, Mumbai Indians spent INR 3 crore on Amelia Kerr, Asha fetched INR 1.1 crore and Georgia Wareham INR 1 crore (from RCB) – all spinners – it came as a surprise to many that Ecclestone got a top bid of just INR 85 lakh, despite being the No. 1 ODI bowler and No. 4 T20I bowler in the ICC rankings.”I was very surprised, everyone was surprised,” Nayar said of Ecclestone’s price. “I thought she would go for something like 1.5 crore. But we got her for a great deal at just 85 lakh. But that’s how the auction works – sometimes you pay less, sometimes more. So I’ve very happy overall.”Even before using the RTM for Ecclestone, UPW used that option for Deepti, who led them earlier this season in the absence of Alyssa Healy. While their decision to release Deepti before the auction might have been surprising, using the RTM for her was not.

“We wanted a big purse in the auction, that’s it,” Nayar said. “The first retention price was 3.5 crore, we got her in 3.2 [at the auction]. So, there is still some money saved and we can get an extra player. Getting someone like Pratika Rawal, though she is injured, has become possible.”So the mindset was we are going to get her (Deepti), that is the advantage of having the RTM. If we didn’t have the RTM, I think things would be different but we were very confident with the RTM, we just wanted to try and use it in the auction.”UPW went into the auction with four RTM options and used them on Deepti, Ecclestone, Gaud and Kiran Navgire, but not on Healy, who was the first name to come up in the mega auction and she eventually went unsold. UPW filled the opening slot with former Australia captain Meg Lanning, the third-highest run-scorer in the WPL, behind Sciver-Brunt and Ellyse Perry. They also picked Phoebe Litchfield, whom Lanning has earmarked as a future captaincy candidate for Australia. Will Lanning and Litchfield open together for UPW?”Meg is a leader, we all know,” Nayar said. “Phoebe is also a kind of a leader, we think. She can add a lot of value to the team. She is a fearless cricketer and she can play 360 (degree cricket) or 180. So we were very excited to have someone like that potential and I feel really good to buy her with that money (INR 1.20 crore). But right now we can’t say that they both are going to open for us. If we reveal that here in this interview, teams will already be making strategies about it .”Another opening batter UPW bought was India’s ODI opener Rawal, who was prolific in the recent World Cup-winning campaign at the top with Smriti Mandhana, but is yet to make her T20I and WPL debut. She picked up an injury while fielding in India’s last league game in the World Cup and missed the knockouts after that, and may not be fit in time to play the WPL too.”When you buy a good player there’s no guarantee that she will be fit or not for the season,” Nayar said. “We know that she is not fit right now but we also know that if there’s a superstar rising through Indian cricket, it’s Pratika Rawal. Like I said earlier our attempt was to get those players who can play for India in the long run, are potential superstars, and who can become the face of this franchise. That was an important thing to do because that will be an advantage for the next retention cycle after two years.”